Food package



F. W. LINDSEY Sept. 2, 1952 FOOD PACKAGE 7 Filed April 5, 1949 INLIENTOR. Fi'edeg wwzlig -y Hi5 Abborn y Patented Sept. 2, 1952 r UNITED STATES PATENT-s] oF ic I f 2,609,3(ll i A r001) PACKAGE a Frederick W. Lindsey, :B 'a1timorc,-

Application April 5, 1949, SerialNo. 85,642 5 'This'invention relates to food packageaand more especially to packa'ges'which' contain food stufi for vending.

An object of my invention isthe provision of a-sanitary, marketablepackage containing food such as partially cooked or wholly cooked meat. which package retains thefood in a clean condition for selling, and is readily and quickly cooked or heated as desired as in a homeoven or burner while efiectively holding the food and the food juices enclosed.

A further object of my invention is that of pro viding a vcndible food package which has a highly satisfactory heat-conductivewrapper to con-, tain the'food for cooking (Jr-heating. giving the food a grilled-appearance and flavor.-

- Another obj'eetof' the present invention is the provision of an easily produced; closed food package which suflficiently heat-conductive to enable'the goods therein to b'ec'ook'ed 'o-r'heated from anexternal sourcaand which thereafter" immediately cools to permit ready handling and opening to'serv'e'the cooked or heated food while hot-.- v V f'A- stillfurther object of my inv'ention is that of providing a marketablepackageof frankfurt ers, sausage or the like, the food being available for heating or cookingwithout opening the package. 7

Other objectsof-myinvention in part will be obvious and in partpointed outLmore fully h'ere- I inafter.

The invention, accordingly,;:consists in the combination of materials, features of constructionp'and the resulting products as described which is portions throughout? theseveral figures: 'of the" drawing.

As conducive to a clearer unde rstandmg or certain features of my invention, it may be noted at this point that marketing operations as applied to any of a wide variety of foodstufls introduce a considerable amount of handling and frequent exposure of the food to unclean conditions.

1: Claim. (o1. 99-17 4)- A number of these commodities, such as wholly or partially cooked meats for example, are sold unwrapped and thus at best requirewashing be fore cooking. The food often is of a kind which very soon loses all of its juices upon being cooked orhea't'ed'i'n an open receptacle, such as a frying pan, or directly on'a grille or an oven tray. This loss of "juices and flavor also is suffered by certain packaged food after the package is opened and the food is subjected to heating orcooking. Then, too, in being cooked in" the open condition, the food is entirely free to give oif odors which sometimes, in view of intensity, are objectionable,

Referringnowmore particularly to the -practide "of my invention, the foodcooking packages which l provide include heat-conductive metal foil-to hold and protect the food for marketing and to facilitate-the'operation of heating or cooking. This foil preferably is made of substantially pure aluminum orj'of an aluminum" alloy, such as one including substantial amounts of magnesium. -The aluminum, in addition to being capahle of *p'r'od'ueinfia protective oxide film which is substantially inert in the presence" of fdodsg-assures goodheat-conductivity and thus gives'an effective distribution of heat to the food while the package isbeing used for a cooking or heatin'g'container. In'certain instances, my food packages have the heat conductive metaljfoil so shapedthat'it substantially" conforms ftoithe I food, thusreduce i'ng the airspace inside the package and giving moreg'direct'heatftransfer. often achieve this substantial. coniormi'ty of the metal and, food by pressing or stampact or sheet'sj' of thefo'il todesire'ds apebe' reor after introducing the" foddaiidenclosi'ngthesame.

illustrativeof the practice r myiriventiefi; i

I provide a food package In, this for emmme containing a plurality of frankiurters l I, raw or cooked sausage, or thelike, disposed in side-by- 3 'stantially all aluminum or some other heatcon ductive metallic material which will not be hurtful to the meat throughout the time this food remains wrapped. The foil sheet advantageously extends from one end of the frankfurter to around the other end and back (see Fig. 2) and is long enough and wide enough to give lips l3 and I4 and an end [5 all outward from the food and the main body of the package. The side lips l3 and M are double thicknesses of the i011 and so is the front lip l5, these being formed by pressing the sheet together around the adjacent portions of the frankfurters l2, thus to provide 5 the package. These double thicknesses conven-- iently are folded back upon themselves one or several times in toward the frankfurters, thus.

If desired, I 7,

giving a substantially closed seal. introduce a suitable sealing compound between the several thicknesses of the lips to make the package air-tight.

In order to increase the efiectiveheating surface of the foil 12- next to the frankfurters H, Ipress thefoil down between the ridges of the adjacent irankfurters as at 1B. The air space inside the package it], accordingly, is quite small and substantially the whole surface of each frankfurter is directly adjacent to a portion of the foil for readily receiving heat from the same. Ifind too that by providing the foil pressed to the underlying food, there is considerably less opportunity for the package ID to be. punched open or ruptured in handling. By providing the side lips I3 and i4 and end lip IS, a greater mass of-metal surrounds the food. Thus, these lips not only afford a closure for the package Ill,

but serve as heat welts which absorb heat and distribute it to that portion of the foil which overlies the meat.

There are occasions where I provide an external wrapper over the foil I2. This outside wraps per ;20 conveniently is made of paper or of a transparent plastic, such as of cellulose grade; affording a substantially airtight enclosure to further protect the food during marketing. Usu-. ally, when employing the outer wrapper 28, I introduce printed matter to the same for identifying the food product. Also, the outside wrapper-protects the foil beneath against rupturing or tearing and yet is readilyremoved to make the foil directly availablefor the heating orcook ing oi the contained iood.

7 The package 10 is conveniently ius eld as in a stove oven or a campfire grill, althougha package ofvthree or four frankfurters may beheated in an electric toaster. The foilprotects the fra k- .1

furters against the direct effects of a large expanse of air or-an open flame, yet is highly effective for distributing applied heat. Also, the

foil keeps the meat substantially enclosed and the heating or cooking is successfully ac hieved ma small space. The juices and flavors accordingly, are better retained. Moreover the frankfurters have the browned pleasingfappe'aranceof having, been grilled, rather than steamed orf boiled asmight be expected. And, too, they havethe'fiavo'r. of grilled food. -.I 'find'that after the heating or. cooking is completed; such as in "accordance :with

instructions on the outside of thef'package with regard to heating temperature and periodof time, it is but a simple matter to gain acjcessto the food for serving. Surprisingly enough, the foil jcools locker.

package retains the food for heating or cooking from the standpoint of cleanliness. Further, it

will be seen that the package presents the food in a thoroughly satisfactory form for marketing and handling or for storage in a deep freeze Still further, it will be seen that the and, in this connection, affords many advantages in being a receptacle for transmitting externally applied heat.

With my packaged product, there is no necessity for use of pots and pans with consequent handlingbefore and cleaning after use. Followingcooking or heating of the packaged product, the wrapper may be disposed of. It will be seen, therefore, that the packaged product is mosteconomical and efficient and is well adapted to modern living. a

'As many embodiments may be made ofmy invention and as many changes may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore set forth, it will be understood that all matter described herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not as a limitation. V

A marketable package of frankfurters for heating in the unopened condition of the package, said marketable package comprising a plurality of frankfurters in flat sideby-side relation, and a wrapping of sheet metal'foil substantially consisting of aluminum surrounding and enclosing the frankfurters as a group in substantial conformity. to the-shape of the group and to the shapeof the individual frankfurters and in intimate contact therewith, said wrapping having atv least one overlapping seam of double thickness REFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record in -the file of this patent: y

UNITED sTA' es'r TENTs.

.fGood wra ping Materials Not-:Expe'nsive When Properly Used .by J D. Winter, University of Minnesota, reprinted from Locher Operator- Magazine-August 1946, pages 1 to 4. 

